chemistry

Nitroethane

Nitroethane is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nitroethane rather than just read about it. In short: Nitroethane is an organic compound having the formula C2H5NO2 or CH3CH2NO2. Similar in many regards to nitromethane, nitroethane is an oily liquid at standard temperature and pressure.

Key takeaways

Nitroethane belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nitroethane to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nitroethane from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nitroethane is an organic compound having the formula C2H5NO2 or CH3CH2NO2. Similar in many regards to nitromethane, nitroethane is an oily liquid at standard temperature and pressure. Pure nitroethane is colorless and has a fruity odor.

Preparation Nitroethane is produced industrially by treating propane with nitric acid at 350–450 °C. This exothermic reaction produces four industrially significant nitroalkanes: nitromethane, nitroethane, 1-nitropropane, and 2-nitropropane. The reaction involves free radicals, such as CH3CH2CH2O., which arise via homolysis of the corresponding nitrite ester. These alkoxy radicals are susceptible to C—C fragmentation reactions, which explains the formation of a mixture of products. Alternatively, nitroethane can be produced by the Victor Meyer reaction of haloethanes such as chloroethane, bromoethane, or iodoethane with silver nitrite in diethyl ether or THF. The Kornblum modification of this reaction uses sodium nitrite in either a dimethyl sulfoxide or dimethylformamide solvent.

Uses Via condensations like the Henry reaction, nitroethane converts to several compounds of commercial interest. Condensation with 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde affords the precursor to the antihypertensive drug methyldopa; condensation with unsubstituted benzaldehyde yields phenyl-2-nitropropene, a precursor for amphetamine drugs. Nitroethane condenses with two equivalents of formaldehyde to give, after hydrogenation, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, which in turn condenses with oleic acid to give an oxazoline, which protonates to give a cationic surfactant. Like some other nitrated organic compounds, nitroethane is also used as a fuel additive and a precursor to rocket propellants. Nitroethane is a useful solvent for polymers such as polystyrene and is particularly useful for dissolving cyanoacrylate adhesives. In cosmetics applications, it has been used as a component in artificial nail remover and in overhead ceiling sealant sprays. Nitroethane was previously used successfully as a chemical feedstock (precursor ingredient) in laboratories for the synthesis of multitudes of substances and consumer goods. For example, the medicine Pervitin (methamphetamine) was commonly used in the 19th and 20th century, and was especially popular during WWII by troops of both sides for mood elevation, appetite and sleep suppression and increasing focus and alertness). Nitroalkanes were one of many ingredients used in the synthesis of many phenethylamines, including medications such as Pervitin and the racemic compound Benzedrine (amphetamine), used as an anorectic medicine for obesity.

Toxicity Nitroethane is suspected to cause genetic damage and be harmful to the nervous system. Typical TLV/TWA is 100 ppm. Typical STEL is 150 ppm. Skin contact causes dermatitis in humans. In animal studies, nitroethane exposure was observed to cause lacrimation, dyspnea, pulmonary rales, edema, liver and kidney injury, and narcosis. Children have been poisoned by accidental ingestion of artificial nail remover. The LD50 for rats is reported as 1100 mg/kg.

References

External links WebBook page for C2H5NO2 CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nitroethane

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nitroethane claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nitroethane before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nitroethane ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nitroethane

In research: Nitroethane appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nitroethane in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nitroethane is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Drag racing, Fuels, Liquid explosives, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nitroethane outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nitroethane in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nitroethane means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nitroethane out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nitroethane in simple terms?

Nitroethane is an organic compound having the formula C2H5NO2 or CH3CH2NO2. Similar in many regards to nitromethane, nitroethane is an oily liquid at standard temperature and pressure.

Why does Nitroethane matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nitroethane?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nitroethane.